Dear David and Sandra, If during the Year of Patience the wife (or husband) were to be *forced* to have sex by the husband (or wife), then, naturally, the offending party would pay a higher fine (19 mithqals) for this abusive crime than the fine for consensual fornication (9 mithqals for first offence, 18 for the second), and I think the abusive crime would *not* automatically restart the Year of Patience.
I think the Year of Patience would *not* start again, unless "affection be renewed between the couple" before sexual relations and then the state of affection later be lost. As Firestorm noted in his post, it is a *new* Year of Patience which would start if the affection is lost again. Of course, no fine would be payable for consensual marital sexual relations occurring while affection exists between the married couple. Best regards, --- Vaughn -----Original Message----- From: Sandra Chamberlain ... I also find it interesting from the quote you noted initially - Baha'u'llah doesn't address the issue of "recommencing" their year of patience after intercourse has taken place between the spouses. However, it is answered elsewhere in the Aqdas ... 11. QUESTION: If intercourse take place between a couple during their year of patience, and they become estranged again thereafter, must they recommence their year of patience, or may the days preceding the intercourse be included in the reckoning of the year? And once divorce hath taken place, is it necessary that a further period of waiting be observed? ANSWER: Should affection be renewed between the couple during their year of patience, the marriage tie is valid, and what is commanded in the Book of God must be observed; but once the year of patience hath been completed and that which is decreed by God taketh place, a further period of waiting is not required. Sexual intercourse between husband and wife is forbidden during their year of patience, and whoso committeth this act must seek God's forgiveness, and, as a punishment, render to the House of Justice a fine of nineteen mithqáls of gold. (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 110) __________________________________________________ You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web - http://list.jccc.net/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.net/bahai-st http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist (public) http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] (public)
